Mandalas

Why Mandalas?

Mandalas have been used across cultures and traditions—from Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism, to Indigenous ceremonies and Jungian psychology—as visual tools for transformation, healing, and meditation. The word "mandala" comes from Sanskrit, meaning “circle” or “center.”

In psychedelic therapy, mandalas act as containers for the psyche, offering a nonverbal way to explore what words can’t always express. Drawing in circular form mirrors the inner journey—moving from the outside world to the self, and back out again with new insight.

Benefits include:

  • Grounding the nervous system

  • Making the abstract visible

  • Processing difficult emotions or visions

  • Accessing subconscious insight

  • Capturing a journey’s essence in symbolic form

Whether you're preparing, actively journeying, or integrating, mandalas invite the sacred into the ordinary.

How Psychedelic Mandalas Differ

While traditional mandalas often follow rigid symmetry or spiritual symbolism, psychedelic mandalas are about personal meaning, not perfection.

They're not just art—they’re a tool for integration:

  • A geometric meditation during prep

  • A snapshot of peak moments

  • A symbolic map of emotional or spiritual insight

  • A ritual practice to revisit and reflect on

There’s no right or wrong way to create them. Let intuition and feeling be your guide—not aesthetics.

Getting Started: Basic Guidelines

You don’t need to be artistic to draw a mandala—just curious. Here are some helpful tips:

  1. Start from the Center – The core represents your inner self or the seed of your intention.

  2. Expand Outward – Add shapes, symbols, words, or abstract lines as you process your journey.

  3. Use Any Medium – Colored pencils, crayons, pens, pastels, watercolor—whatever feels right.

  4. Let Go of Judgment – This isn’t about making “good” art. It’s about listening to what wants to come through.

  5. Set a Timer (Optional) – Give yourself 10–20 minutes to let intuition lead.

Your Journey Kit may include mandala cards, templates, or a blank circle to begin with.

Three Levels of Mandala Practice

Choose the depth that fits your moment. Each level can be meaningful, depending on your needs and energy.

1. Simple Geometric Mandalas

Quick, calming, and beginner-friendly

  • Start with a circle on a blank page

  • Add repeating shapes—dots, petals, spirals

  • Write a word, emotion, or intention in the center

  • Breathe as you draw—each stroke is a meditation

Great for:

  • Centering before a journey

  • Nonverbal intention-setting

  • Quick reflections during integration

Try: Draw a circle. Add 4 petals. Repeat outward. Exhale with each layer.

2. Symbolic & Expressive Mandalas

For processing emotion, insight, or personal imagery

  • Include personal symbols (e.g., animals, shapes, nature)

  • Use color to express feelings

  • Incorporate words, affirmations, or visions from your experience

  • Let your hand move without planning

Great for:

  • Capturing a vision or message from your journey

  • Processing emotions in a ritualized way

  • Revisiting to see how meanings shift over time

These mandalas are living maps of insight and growth.

3. Complex, Layered Mandalas

Long-form mandala creation as ceremony

  • Build over multiple sessions—prep, peak, and integration

  • Use multiple materials (ink, watercolor, collage, gold leaf)

  • Include sacred geometry, quotes, ancestral symbols

  • Add flower petals, pressed leaves, or fabric scraps

  • Consider using music or creating in silence

Great for:

  • Deep inner work

  • Ceremonial remembrance

  • Ongoing integration or altar space

“I return to this piece again and again—it reminds me that I’ve already been to the center and come back.”

Revisiting Your Mandala

A mandala isn’t just a moment—it’s a mirror. Over time, new meanings can emerge from what you created.

Ways to engage:

  • Revisit your mandala weekly or monthly

  • Journal about what you notice has changed

  • Add to it as integration continues

  • Use it as a grounding anchor or altar object

  • Trace the journey you've taken by comparing mandalas over time

Your mandala becomes a living archive of your inner world.

More Resources

Books

  • The Mandala Workbook by Susanne F. Fincher

  • Mandala of Being by Richard Moss

Apps & Printables

  • Mandala coloring apps (e.g., Mandala Maker, Amaziograph)

  • Free printable templates from Pinterest or Canva

Videos & Meditations

  • YouTube: “Guided Mandala Drawing Meditation”

  • @psychedelicintegration or #mandalajournaling on Instagram for community inspiration